Three Sentenced To Prison In Fatal Beating

Andrue Jefferson's mother yelled words not fit for television during court proceedings Thursday.

"Get out, get out," was the immediate reply of the bailiff who showed her the door.

That was Jefferson's reaction when, not her son, but co-defendant Zachary Kelsey received 10 to 25 years for his part in the beating death of 20-year old Jared Hyde.

Jefferson along with Robert Schnuringer both face life sentences with the possibility of parole after 10 years

“I think it is harsh. I think if you look at the dynamics of the case and it could happen to anybody. I mean they didn't come out there looking for a fight, there were no weapons of any kind, in fact there is no gang affiliation of any kind in this case,” says Richard Molezzo, Jefferson's attorney.

Molezzo's client along with Kelsey and Schnuringer all made statements before Judge Steve Elliot sentenced them.

All said they were sorry for what happened last February at a party in a remote area of Lemmon Valley.

A fight broke out at the time, and by all accounts Jared Hyde didn't want to get involved, testimony showed he just wanted to go home.

But an investigation pointed to Jefferson and Schnuringer as the two who accelerated the fight and delivered the fatal blows.

“I call it an attack because he was attacked by 3 individuals. Did not have any culpability in this fight in fact he was trying to break up a fight if anything. And he was beaten to death, needlessly for no reason at all,” said Carl Hall, the prosecutor.

Family members and friends had their say at Thursday's sentencing, describing Jared Hyde as a kid with plenty of potential, a collage of pictures was displayed for all of court to see.

“This is what Jared has in his future,“ Linda Gomez, a family friend said as she got up and turned the collage around to show a white background, “And we are sitting here talking about these young men's futures,” she continued.

So volatile were emotions at Thursday's proceedings, Hyde's family members had to stay in the courtroom until the hallway was cleared of friends and family of the 3 defendants.

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